Easier To Run
by Kaden Amano
Summary: Starting the school year as a transfer student, Mare is a klutzy demon with a dark past. Funny thing though, about dark pasts and their tendencies to catch up to a girl...
1. Mare Goes To School

**~Easier To Run~**  
   
  
. . .  
  
_Chapter One: Mare Goes To School_  
. . .  
  
AN: Kay. Um, this is my second 'actual' Yu Yu Hakusho fanfic, one that isn't a crossover or self-inserted or anything like that. I called it "Easier To Run" cuz I think that Linkin Park's song ("Easier To Run") describes my character pretty good. Also, this isn't just a story about my new character, but about everyone on the Yu Yu Hakusho team as well. Happy reading! ...If anyone reads my stories *sniff*  
  
. . .

  
"Hmm...Art class...room 205..." Mare paused in the middle of the empty hallway and looked down to examine her class schedule, just to be sure she was in the right place. Her first day of highschool wasn't exactly going smoothly, and now she was at least five minutes late for her fourth period class. The day was dragging on and on without end, it seemed. Mare had begun to wonder whether or not coming here was a mistake...  
  
She sighed and slipped the schedule back into her pocket. According to it, the classroom was just down the hall and to the left. Shifting her backpack onto her right shoulder, Mare hurried down the hall and swung open the door of room 205. To her relief, however, most of the students in the room didn't even notice her as they were all engaged in conversation and various activities having to do with throwing around the art supplies. In the midst of the uproar was the teacher herself, dodging paper airplanes and wayward paint globs, trying to keep the students under control and her crisp brown business suit clean at the same time.  
  
Mare stood in the doorway for a minute, searching for an empty seat. She spotted one beside a girl with shoulder-length brown hair, and made her way discreetly to the table, ducking a series of spitballs and popsicle stick missiles on the way.  
  
"Oh man," she said as she dropped her backpack on the floor and sat down in the chair. "Looks like World War Three in here."  
  
"You're telling me," the girl next to her agreed. "It's like this whenever we have a substitute teacher." She shook her head disapprovingly. "The upper classmen always wage some silly war with the freshmen and the classroom ends up looking like a tornado swept through it."  
  
"Oh." Mare nodded, trying to resist the temptation to jump into the 'silly war'. She really wanted to make a good impression on her first day.  
  
"Are you a freshman? I don't think I've seen you before."  
  
"No," Mare answered. "I'm a sophomore. It's my first day here," she added.  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm Kayko, nice to meet you," the girl said, offering Mare her hand to shake.  
  
"My name is Mare, nice to meet you as well," Mare answered as they shook hands.  
  
"That's a pretty name. So how has your first day been going?"  
  
"Ah," Mare replied, shrugging a shoulder. "It could be worse, I suppose. All day long I've been late, tripping over everything, dropping things, forgetting things...at lunch I just know I'm going to spill something too. Probably on myself," she added with a laugh. It was true, all she had been doing was acting like a klutz. On top of that, on the way to her first class a teacher had stopped her in the hall to inform her that she was violating the dress code; her jeans came down too low, and her t-shirt 'showed her midriff' too much. But how was she supposed to know there was a dress code? Which was why she got out of detention... "I hope my other classes go better."  
  
"Can I see your schedule?" Kayko asked. "Maybe we have other classes together."  
  
"Yeah, sure." Mare dug around in her pocket and handed her the folded, crumpled and creased schedule, which had a coffee ring in the center of it. "Eh-heh...I guess it's kinda messy..."  
  
Kayko studied the schedule for a minute before handing the schedule back to Mare. "We've got fifth and seventh together," she said.  
  
"Great! I don't know many people here. I, um, just moved here."  
  
"Oh, really? From where?"  
  
"Oh, uh--" Mare paused and bit her lower lip. She couldn't tell her where she was REALLY from. Kayko wouldn't believe her anyway. So she just said off the top of her head, "the Yukon." Damn! What a stupid answer! Mare mentally scolded herself for giving such a ridiculous response. But she did manage to make it sound legitimate.  
  
"Wow. The weather must take some getting used to, then."  
  
"Right. And there are a whole lot more people here," Mare added. She suddenly had to duck as a lump of wet clay went whizzing by.  
  
Kayko stood up, looking angrily at a boy dressed in a green uniform who was chucking the clay. "Yusuke Urameshi! You'd better cut that out right now!" She sighed and sat back down. "That's my boyfriend, Yusuke. You won't see HIM in any of your other classes. Honestly, I don't even know how he managed to pass junior high. Most of the time he just skips school."  
  
"Hey, I'm getting better, Kayko," came Yusuke's retort. He had suddenly appeared from behind them--when did he get there, Mare wondered. She should have been able to see him, but then again, her gaurd was down. "I've been at school all week!"  
  
"It's Monday!" Kayko reminded him.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Well, I plan to come to school all week, okay?"  
  
"That's what you said last week." She turned to Mare. "Yusuke, this is Mare--you know, the girl you almost clobbered with that ball of clay."  
  
"Oh, no, he wouldn't have hit me, don't worry," Mare said quickly. "Anyway, hi."  
  
"Hi," he answered. "Well I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm in the middle of something. See ya later." He picked up the lump of clay that had landed behind Mare and hurled it at a boy across the room, then he ran back into the middle of it all.  
  
"He's so immature," Kayko commented. "Sometimes I wonder why I put up with him." Mare laughed, because she could tell Kayko was only kidding. She only hoped that the rest of the day would go better.  
  
. . .  
  


  
"Ah, lunch at last!" Mare exclaimed to herself as she and Kayko left fifth period together. "I'm STARVING. I think I could eat...oh, man, I bet I could out-eat a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet!"  
  
Kayko laughed. "I'm hungry too, but not THAT hungry. Come on, you probably don't know where the cafeteria is, right?"  
  
"Lead the way," Mare gestured. She followed Kayko to the cafeteria, in deep thought. The day had certainly picked up after fourth period. It helped a lot when somebody was there to show you around and explain things. There were a lot of things in this world that Mare didn't understand. Humans were such strange creatures. Most of the ones she'd met, like Kayko, were very nice people. Still, it took a lot of getting used to. The 'Yukon' was nothing like this place.  
  
Mare snapped out of these thoughts as Kayko was leading the way down the stairs. She looked up just in time to trip over her other foot, lose her balance, and tumble down the stairs, landing in a heap at the bottom.  
  
"Oh, no!" Kayko cried out as she ran down the remaining steps and knelt down beside Mare. "Are you okay?"  
  
Mare sat up, aware that every student in the hall below was now staring at her, and most were laughing. "Oh, man, I'm such a klutz. I really should watch where I'm going." She stood up, feeling her face grow hot. "I'm all right, Kayko. Only thing hurt is my dignity."  
  
"Okay," she said. "The cafeteria is right at the end of the hall." They walked past all the other students, who were still staring and snickering at Mare. "Oh, don't act like it never happened to you!" Kayko snapped at them. They finally made it to the cafeteria--or rather the line to the cafeteria.  
  
"Just two more classes to go," Mare told herself. "Two more and the day is all over." She sighed, realizing that she would be back tomorrow for another nightmare. The line moved forward slowly, and Mare contemplated whether or not she SHOULD come back. So far, all she had accomplished here was humiliate herself. She was not proving to be very coordinated--she knew she should have practiced walking for a day before going straight to school.  
  
She suddenly felt somebody poke her shoulder and turned around. "What?"  
  
"The line is moving," explained the boy who had poked her.  
  
"Oh yeah." Mare caught up to Kayko, who was right ahead of her, inside the cafeteria. She picked up a lunch tray and waited to recieve her food from the lunch lady. "What's for lunch?" She asked.  
  
"Meatball Surprise!" Cackled the gray-haired, long-nosed old woman as she grabbed a plate, slopped big glob of mushy brown substance onto it and placed it onto Mare's tray.  
  
"Eh...heh-heh..." Mare gingerly took her tray and headed for a table.  
  
"Hey Mare, over here!" Kayko called from a table nearby. Mare glanced up to acknowledge her, and in doing so, tipped her tray forward so that some of the Meatball Surprise spilled onto the floor.   
  
"Oops!" Mare noticed this and was quick to right her tray. _'I knew something like this would happen,' _she thought to herself as she stepped towards the table Kayko and a couple of her friends were occupying. However, the second she brought her foot down to create the first step, she slipped on the spilled Surprise and her leg, along with the rest of her including the lunch tray, flew up into the air. She hung there for a moment, as if suspended in time, before she crashed onto the floor. She sat up, noticing that once again, she had the attention of everyone in the room. That's when the lunch tray landed on her head.  
  
. . .

  
  
"I really want to scream into a pillow," Mare grumbled to herself as she headed towards her fifth period class. "This day could not possibly get any worse. What was I thinking? I should NEVER have come here, this was a BAD idea." She carefully walked up the stairs, on her way to the third floor, room 309. She had spent the rest of the lunch period in the girls' bathroom, trying to get the Meatball Surprise out of her hair. Every time somebody walked by her, they would smirk at her or grin as if to say 'I heard what happened to you, and I laughed my ass off.'   
  
"Oh well. At least they know who I am," she muttered as she opened the door to her sixth period class, Driver's Ed. Everyone looked up at her as she walked into the room, and some of them snickered. "Don't tell me I'm late again!"  
  
"No, you aren't late," the teacher assured her. "Go ahead and take a seat, I'm just starting to take attendance."  
  
"Okay." Mare spied an empty seat at the back of the room and made a beeline for it, unfortunately in her hurry she neglected to keep her balance, so when she was halfway to the seat she pitched forward and fell face-first onto the floor. Mare stood up slowly as giggles erupted throughout the classroom. Shaking her head, she walked the rest of the way to her desk and sat down with a 'thud'.  
  
"All right then," began the teacher. "I'll start taking attendance...oh, Mare there was something I need to discuss with you." He squinted down to row to her.   
  
"Yes?" What now? She hoped this didn't involve getting up and walking somewhere...  
  
"Mare, I don't see a last name here. Just tell me what it is and I'll write it down."  
  
"Uh...a last name?" Last name? She didn't have a last name! What was she going to do? "...Um...well, I forgot it, sir." She grinned sheepishly, feeling even more foolish knowing that everyone would laugh again. They did; everyone except the teacher, of course. He was very unimpressed.  
  
"This is no time for jokes. If you insist on being the comedian, you can march yourself down to the headmaster's office. Now tell me your last name please."  
  
Mare's mouth hung open. "But--" It was no use. She couldn't tell him that she didn't have a last name. He wouldn't believe her. Think...she had used the address of the family she was staying with, so maybe she could use their last name as well. It couldn't hurt. "...it's Makino," she reluctantly replied.  
  
"Good," the teacher commented as he wrote down the name. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?"  
  
Mare sighed heavily and let her head fall onto the desk with a hollow _'thunk'_, not caring that it would probably cause a headache. She just wanted the day to be over and done with. She paid no attention as the teacher continued to take attendance, and eventually drifted off into her thoughts. She had wanted to experience the type of lives that humans led. She had been so curious as to what school was like that she signed up for classes without thinking that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. And she should have practiced walking on her human legs before coming, as it had been years since she'd had to use only two legs. She had to hand it to those humans though--having a pair of arms certainly was useful.  
  
"Miss Makino!"  
  
Mare's head snapped up. "Yes? I'm sorry, what is it?"  
  
The teacher crossed his arms and leaned on his desk. "That's the third time I've had to call your name, Miss Makino. Are you ready to answer this time?"  
  
"Sure, and would you please not call me that? I prefer to be called by my first name if you don't mind," she said.  
  
"Well as a matter of fact, I DO mind, Miss Makino. And as I was explaining to the rest of the class, I am going to pair you up for your driving lessons, IF that's all right with you, that is." He glared at her.  
  
"That's fine with me, sir, but I really have no idea why you wish to have my approval." She stared back at him, confused. He seemed a bit taken aback by the genuineness of her answer.  
  
"Well--anyway, you'll be working with Shuuichi today."  
  
"Oh. Um...which one is he?" She asked, hoping he wouldn't have another nasty response to the question.  
  
"He's sitting in the seat beside you, Miss Makino." She held her breath, waiting for him to say something else, but he said nothing more. Instead he turned to the blackboard and began writing.  
  
Mare let out her breath and turned her head towards the one sitting in the desk beside hers. She guessed that one really couldn't miss a guy like Shuuichi, considering his long red hair and the color of his clothing--pink.   
  
She said, "Hello."  
  
"Hello," he answered politely.  
  
There was definitely something strange about him, but Mare wasn't quite sure what. She shook it from thought, though. Now wasn't the time to be thinking these things over, as the teacher had quite kindly reminded her.  
  
"Nice fellow, that teacher," Mare commented. "It's really quite amazing that he's able to walk with such a long pole up his fat butt." She made the last two words sound as nasty as possible.  
  
"Well said," Shuuichi replied. "Although I'm afraid things will get worse before they get better. He doesn't take kindly to new students."  
  
"That's not fair!" Mare said a little too loudly.   
  
The teacher turned from the blackboard. "Excuse me!"  
  
Mare straightened up in her chair. "Oops." This day was neverending.  
  
. . .

  
  
"Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop!" Mare moaned while lying on the ground. She had hit the dirt face-first after tripping over the volleyball net while trying to spike the ball, and had overdone the jump just a tad. "Oh please, just make this day stop!"   
  
"Are you okay, Mare?" Kayko knelt down beside her.  
  
"Oh, I'll be fine when the day is over Kayko," Mare sighed as she sat up.  
  
"Well hang in there, you've got fifteen minutes until the school day is over."  
  
"Really? Fifteen minutes?" Mare stood up and dusted herself off. "Okay, I can handle that. Yeah. Fifteen minutes is no problem. Hey Kayko, is my face bleeding?"  
  
"No," she shook her head. "It's a little red, but other than that you look fine."  
  
"Alright girls, let's keep this game going," the Phys. Ed. teacher called as she blew her whistle. "Do you need to sit out for a few minutes, Makino?"  
  
"No, I'm fine," Mare said as she took her place again. As she spoke the words, she could feel a lump forming on her forehead and also could tell she would develope a black eye by the next day. She played the rest of the game very carefully, being very cautious not to give anyone a reason to be suspicious of her. The fifteen minutes seemed to drag on, but when the bell rang Mare couldn't get to the locker room fast enough.   
  
She changed out of her P.E. clothes and put her regular ones back on. She met Kayko as she was walking out the door.  
  
"Hey Mare, wait for me okay? I'll only be a few minutes," Kayko said as she disappeared into the locker room.  
  
"Kay," answered Mare. She sat down on the bench outside the locker room. She couldn't wait to get home. She was just itching to get back to the Makinos' field--HER field--where she could run free without a care in the world. As a human she was starting to feel a little cramped. It was probably because she wasn't quite used to being in this body yet; it had been a very long time since she had been in her human form this long.  
  
A few minutes later, as promised, Kayko emerged from the locker room. "Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yes," Mare said as she stood up. She noticed that she was a few inches taller than Kayko.  
  
"I was going to meet Yusuke and his friends," Kayko explained. "I thought you could come and meet them, you know, to get to know some people."  
  
"Okay, that sounds nice." Mare nodded. The two of them made their way out to the front of the school, where they found Yusuke with two other boys. One of them Mare had already met, and the other was very tall with short red hair. The tall one noticed the girls first.  
  
"Oh hey Kayko, who's your friend?" He wondered, blushing slightly.  
  
"Get a grip, Kuwabara," Yusuke told him. "Whatever happened to Yukina?"  
  
Kuwabara glared at Yusuke. "Nothing happened, Yukina is my one true love!"  
  
"Anyway guys, this is my new friend, Mare Makino," Kayko said.   
  
"Hello," Mare said, not sure what else to say.  
  
"So how do you like it here so far?" Yusuke asked as he leaned against one of the trees that lined the sidewalks.  
  
"...Well, the people are nice," she shrugged. "Some of them."  
  
"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Yusuke grinned and turned to the other red-haired boy. "How was Driver's Ed, Kurama?"  
  
"It could have been worse, I suppose..." He answered.   
  
Mare was a little confused. "Wait a sec--aren't you in that class with me?" She asked Kurama.  
  
"Yes," he answered.   
  
"Okay, but I thought your name was Shuuichi."  
  
"It is," he replied. "...It's a bit complicated, but you can call me Kurama."  
  
"Okay." Mare went to set down her backpack by the tree Yusuke was leaning on and tripped over a clump of grass. She barely managed to catch herself before she fell down. "Whew."  
  
. . .  
  
"Not so graceful when you're only on two legs, are you?" Teilen smirked as she watched the small group of teenagers from her place high up in a tree where they wouldn't notice her. "I wonder if Kurama suspects anything..."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Teilen glanced up as Hiei landed on the limb beside her. She had gotten used to him dropping in like that, and usually she could tell whenever he was around. It didn't bother her. She would never admit it to him, but she had a lot of respect for Hiei and she got the feeling that it was the same the other way around. It was hard to believe that at one time they had hated each other with the burning of a thousand fires.  
  
"The new girl down there with Yusuke and the others," Teilen said. "Does she look familiar to you?"  
  
Hiei gave her a look. "Hn. How would I know?"  
  
"I have a feeling you'll understand soon enough."   
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Teilen didn't answer. She stared down at the group with growing interest. _'Why have you come back, Phedra?'_ She thought to herself. _'What do you want this time?'_ She watched Mare say goodbye to her new friends and leave the schoolyard. Part of Teilen wanted to follow her, to find out where she was living and how she could be going to school. But she remembered that she and Hiei were supposed to spar that afternoon, which was probably why he had come to find her.  
  
"Are you coming or what?" Hiei asked, as if reading her mind.  
  
She looked at him. "Let's go."  
  
Without another word, he jumped off the tree limb and she followed, pushing aside her doubts of the newcomer for the time being.  
  
. . .  
  
AN: Aaaaand the first chapter is done! Sheesh, it was pretty long too. Not every chapter will be quite this long, I can promise that. So what did you think? Please review my story! Please?


	2. The Driver's Ed Lesson From Hell

**~Easier To Run~**  
  
. . .

  
AN: Well here I am again. For those wondering who Teilen is, her story is up but not quite finished. If you want to read it, it's called High Voltage, at least for now anyway. It's worth it, I promise...I think. Anyway, I'll put up some info later in this story about her as well in case you don't want to bother reading more than you have to. So anyway, thanks for the reviews you guys, at least I know someone likes my stuff.  
  
. . .  
  
_Chapter Two: The Driver's Ed Lesson from Hell_  
. . .

  
  
Mare had walked into school the second day with confidence that she could get through this. She had practiced walking on two legs all afternoon and evening the previous day, deciding that running could wait. She also had homework, although that was not a problem for her; she did it all in under a half hour.  
  
Mare's second day of school was going quite smoothly. She'd only had one clumsy moment (falling sideways out the third period classroom door. Even she couldn't understand how it had happened) and now it was already time for sixth period class. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, Mare realized that it was Driver's Ed. She had known right away that Driver's Ed was going to be a nightmare.  
  
She took a deep breath and opened the classroom door.  
  
"How nice of you to join us, Makino," the teacher, Mr. Broderick, looked up at her from where he was at the board writing something down. "You're five minutes late, but don't worry--I'm sure that Shuuichi doesn't mind having his driving lesson shortened." He didn't give her a chance to respond. "Well, let's go. The Driver's Ed car is in the parking lot. Bring your permits."  
  
Mare was so thankful that she had thought to get a permit. She had never driven a car before, though, since the permit test was a multiple choice written test. She watched the teacher exit the room and waited for Kurama.  
  
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," she apologized. "I didn't realize I was late."  
  
"That's quite alright," he answered. "To be quite honest, I'm not exactly looking forward to this lesson."  
  
"Oh, I know. Me neither," she sighed. "Well anyhow, I certainly hope the driving goes all right. I can promise that I won't drive us off a cliff in flames, but nothing more."  
  
Kurama smiled politely. "Shall we go?"  
  
Mare took a deep breath. "Alright, I'm ready. I can do this," she muttered to herself. "Hopefully I'll get out of this alive..."  
  
. . .

  
  
"You need to go faster, Miss Makino. The speed limit is 25 miles per hour, not 5," Mr. Broderick told her.  
  
Mare was clutching the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. Her arms were stiff in front of her, and her back was pressed into the seat. It was hard enough to concentrate on the driving without all his criticism. Mare didn't know what his problem was. She was driving so slow because he kept telling her to look this way and look that way... If she went any faster, she feared she'd crash into another car while looking at the stupid pedestrian a mile away.  
  
"Miss Makino, a little faster please?"  
  
She turned her head to look at him. "Hey, at least I'm not hitting anything. Isn't that the point?"  
  
"The point is to be able to keep up with the rest of the traffic," he replied. "Just look at all the cars behind you!"  
  
Mare turned around to look out the back window. Kurama was sitting in the backseat, awaiting his turn to drive. He looked very calm--in fact, he always seemed to have a calm demeanor. There was something about him, though...something that gave Mare reason to believe he wasn't exactly human...  
  
"Miss Makino!"  
  
"Huh?" Mare snapped out of her thoughts and turned back around. "WHOA!" She swerved hard to the left to keep from going off the road. "OH NO!" That had been a bad idea, because now she was about to hit another car. Mare swerved to the right again and, not knowing what else to do, stomped on the gas. The car went from 5 to 75 miles per hour in about 30 seconds.  
  
"What are you DOING?" Mr. Broderick shouted. "SLOW DOWN!"  
  
"Okay, okay!" Mare nervously felt around for the brake pedal, but accidently pushed the gas down again. As the car continued to accelerate, Mare had to take a few hard turns to narrowly miss creaming the other cars on the road. "What do I do, what do I do?!" She shouted over the teacher's screaming. In the back seat, Kurama had pulled his seat belt as tight as it would go. He was watching the blurs of the scenery outside as they flew past it.  
  
"THE BRAKE, MAKINO! THE BRAKE!" Mr. Broderick shrieked.  
  
"STOP YELLING AT ME! WHERE IS THE DAMN BRAKE?!" She yelled back as they almost crashed into a telephone pole, and then another, and then another.  
  
"OH GOD!" Mr. Broderick screamed in terror. "IT'S RIGHT BESIDE THE GAS PEDAL! YOU CAN'T MISS IT!"  
  
Mare looked down quickly, and was able to find the pedal. She moved her foot off the gas and slammed on the brakes. The car came to a screeching halt, throwing the passengers forward, right in front of a very large building.  
  
Mare stared directly ahead at the building they were about six inches away from and breathed deeply. "Okay. Nobody told me death had four-wheel-drive." A single second after she had said that, the airbags burst forth.  
  
"M-miss--mmph!--Makino!" Mr. Broderick cried out as he struggled against the airbag. "You'll be getting an "F" for today!"  
  
. . .

  
  
Mare walked stiffly out the school doors, arms crossed loosely and looking downward, her long, thick maroon-colored hair hiding most of her face as she followed Kayko. She still wasn't feeling so great about the driving episode. Kayko had tried to cheer her up, but to no avail. Mare had declared that never again would she ever set foot in "one of those death machines," saying that it was healthier to walk anyway. Kayko had assured her that things would get better soon, but Mare was severely doubting it.   
  
Kayko turned back and put a hand on Mare's shoulder. "Don't look so down, Mare. Everybody has a bad day."  
  
"I know," Mare sighed. "I just feel so bad about almost killing my teacher and Kurama. I've appologized hundreds of times. I feel so awful."  
  
Kayko, saddened by this, gave Mare a hug. "It'll get better. Trust me," she said again, letting go of her new friend.  
  
"Thank you," Mare said, managing a small smile. "I needed that. Listen, I can't hang out today. I've got to get home and do some things."  
  
"Alright." Kayko shrugged. "But if you want, some of us are going to get together at the park later. You can come if you aren't busy then."  
  
"Okay, maybe I will. See ya," Mare smiled at her as they went their separate ways. Mare was heading back to the Makino's. She absolutely HAD to run. There was no getting around it. The stress was building up so fast inside her that if she didn't find a way to relieve it she felt that she would burst, and running was her stress reliever. She walked briskly down the sidewalk, not making eye contact with anybody; not wanting anyone to get in the way of her plans for that afternoon. Mare's thoughts went back to the driving lesson, and how she had nearly got everyone killed. She couldn't stop thinking about that. She felt absolutely terrible. Kayko had been shocked when she first heard about the incident, but had told Mare that it could happen to anyone. Still, it didn't make things any better.  
  
The fact of the matter was, Mare had almost killed...again.  
  
. . .  
  
AN: okay, that was the second chapter. See, it wasn't as long that time. Anyway, be sure to tell me what you think of my story so far. Does it suck, or is it good?]


	3. Old Acqaintances

**~Easier To Run~ **  
  
. . .  
  
_Chapter Three: Old Acquaintances_  
. . .  
  
Teilen crouched in a tree by the school, similar to the one she had been in the day before, watching. Watching and waiting. She didn't know when the humans got out of school, so she had been there since the beginning of the afternoon. Finally, just as she was about to drift off to sleep, she saw the doors of the school open and human teenagers come flooding out. They produced so much noise as they jabbered on to one another. Humans were such incredibly annoying creatures. Teilen didn't see how Kurama could stand being around them all the time.  
  
She kept her eyes shifting from student to student, trying to locate a certain person. Finally, there she was -- long maroon-colored hair, tall, lean and slender figure, possessing the elegant and naturally beautiful features that, say, a horse might also have. Teilen had known instantly who Mare was the second she'd seen her. It didn't matter that Mare was in a human form; the features were still the same and so was the spirit energy, even though it was being hidden. Also, the skin was the same deep tan color that the horse's hair had been.  
  
Teilen smirked. She had located the target...and now for the interrogation. She let Mare get a good distance ahead of her before she leaped out of the tree and began to trail her; darting in and out of the shadows, jumping across rooftops and from tree to tree. Then, as soon as Mare turned into an empty alley, Teilen made her move. She dropped down between the two buildings and landed in a crouching position directly in front of the surprised demon.  
  
. . .

  
  
Mare gasped when she saw her. She had known all along that she was being followed, which was why she had cut into the alley, but she certainly hadn't expected to run into Teilen.  
  
"How did you know me?" She wondered.  
  
"Do you really think I would forget my only survivor?" Teilen glared at her. "What do you want this time?"  
  
"What are you--" Mare stopped and sighed. "I don't want anything. I've given up my old ways, and now I only wish to live a normal life."  
  
"I'm sure you do," snorted Teilen sarcastically. "Now just tell me who the Dark Messenger has come for this time. Is it me again? I'd love a re-match..."  
  
"Teilen, that's not who I am anymore." Mare looked at the ground.   
  
"_Tajew_, I know." Teilen smirked. "You've grown much weaker. I'm sure I could finish you off the next time we fight."  
  
"There isn't going to be a next time," Mare told her. "I told you, it's over. I no longer work for Thuurei..." She took a deep breath and looked directly into Teilen's cold eyes. "Dagni is dead. Thuurei gave me her word that she wouldn't kill my sister if I cooperated, but she did it anyway. So I left. I've given up using the dark powers. That's a part of my past now."  
  
"And you're future is with these disgusting humans? Have you gone mad?"  
  
Mare was unshaken. "If I'm not mistaken, Teilen, you are half human yourself."  
  
"_Seger_!" Teilen snapped back. "Don't remind me. Just tell me the real reason you're here."  
  
"I have, Teilen. I'm here because I want to live the rest of my life in peace."  
  
"_Em__ hotep_?" Teilen had never heard of such a thing. "A life in peace. Is that even possible?"   
  
"I'm not exactly sure. But I'm going to find out." Mare started to leave, but then turned back. "By the way, what are you doing here? According to your rules, you should be in the Makai."  
  
"I never spoke of any rules," Teilen answered. She began to turn away.  
  
"Teilen."  
  
"_Tajew_?"  
  
"You haven't answered my question," Mare reminded her. "Is it possible that you've made some friends in the human world after all?"  
  
Teilen grunted, "Maybe," and then disappeared into the shadows as suddenly as she had come.  
  
. . .

  
  
Mare arrived at the place she currently called 'home' a few minutes later. The Makinos lived on a very small ranch, with about two acres of land that Mare thoroughly enjoyed running in. When she got back to the ranch, she saw that there were no cars in the driveway. The Makinos weren't there. Most likely the parents were still at work and the children had not yet returned from school. This was a good thing for Mare, because she could sneak back into the pasture without anyone noticing.  
  
Hiding her backpack deep in the hedges by the house, Mare climbed the fence of the pasture and let herself fall down to the other side. She made sure she was in a place where nobody could catch a glimpse of her when she transformed. Seeing that the coast was clear, Mare closed her eyes and prepared to change.  
  
The first thing she felt was the dramatic change in her spirit energy. It went up--way, way up. Then she felt her body begin to warp in shape; her arms grew longer until they were legs and she tipped forward onto them, her mouth and nose extended in length and dark brown fuzz grew on them, her fingers and toes disappeared and were replaced by hooves. A long, maroon-colored tail sprouted from her rear. Her ears grew longer and pointier. And finally, hair the same color as her skin grew all over her body.  
  
Mare had become the horse demon.  
  
She felt so free; no longer cramped inside her human form. She jumped around a couple times before she took off running, as fast as she could go until she was just a tan blur speeding around the circular pasture. It felt so good to run! Mare tossed her head and neighed. After two days of stress trying to fit in at a human school, this was just what she needed. Mare ran for hours. To her, it was heaven.   
  
When she finally came to a stop, she noticed that the sun was beginning to set. She guessed that the time was six-thirty. Looking toward the house, she also noticed that the lights were on. The Makinos were home.  
  
To the Makinos, Mare was just an ordinary horse who usually came and went as she pleased. They knew nothing of her human form or the fact that she was a demon, and why would they anyway? They always supplied her with food (although it was food meant for the domestic horses that humans kept, but Mare didn't mind) and were very kind to her. In the winter, they let her sleep under the shelter of their barn with the other three horses. In return for their kindness, Mare made sure to guard the house and the family, and keep them safe.  
  
Mare thought about joining Kayko and her friends in the park after all. She liked Kayko; Kayko was so nice to her. Mare decided to return to her human form and go to the park. She quickly changed back, making sure that nobody was watching, and left the pasture. She ran down the road as fast as her human legs could carry her, and suddenly something made her stop.  
  
She had no idea where the park was.  
  
. . .

  
  
Yusuke looked up at the sky, which was turning a bright orange color as the sun sank over the horizon. He, Kayko, Kuwabara, Yukina, Kurama, and even Hiei (who was perched up in a tree nearby) were all gathered together at the park. They had all arrived at different times, Hiei being the last to reluctantly show up. At any rate, most of them were enjoying themselves; Kuwabara was trying to impress Yukina as usual, Yukina was laughing at all of the things Kuwabara was saying to her, and they were all tossing around a frisbee as Kurama tried to pursuade Hiei to join in.  
  
"Isn't your friend supposed to be coming?" Yusuke asked Kayko, after sending the frisbee whizzing toward Kurama, who jumped to catch it easily.  
  
"Mare said she might come. She had some things to do at home, I guess."  
  
Kurama thew the frisbee to Kuwabara and turned his attention to the conversation. "Mare Makino, right?"  
  
"Yes," Kayko nodded. She ran to catch the frisbee as Kuwabara sent it flying.  
  
"What's up, Kurama?" Yusuke wondered.  
  
"Kayko's friend is not human," he answered once Kayko was out of earshot.  
  
"Yeah? I kinda got the feeling she wasn't." Yusuke watched as Kayko, Kuwabara, and Yukina fought over control of the frisbee. "So what do you think we're dealing with here?"  
  
"I cannot be certain," Kurama replied. "But I do not believe she means any harm."  
  
Yukina now had the frisbee, and was laughing as the other two were chasing her. Hiei was keeping a close eye (or shall we say 'eyes') on her from his position in the tree.  
  
"Hm." Yusuke noticed that somebody was conspicious by her absence. "So Hiei, got any idea where Teilen might be?"  
  
"Hn," he replied. "How would I know? I'm not her keeper."  
  
Yusuke shrugged. "Just wondering, that's all. Thought you might know."  
  
"Know what?"  
  
Yusuke jumped, and turned around to see Teilen standing behind him. "Damn, don't DO that. You're like a friggin' ghost or something, you just appear without warning."  
  
"Hello Teilen," Kurama said. "What brings you here?"  
  
"I seem to have picked up a straggler," she answered, motioning behind her to where Mare was walking toward the group, looking a little lost.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," she apologized when she arrived. "I forgot to ask Kayko for directions to the park."   
  
"There is no need to apologize," Kurama said. "We were just wondering if you were coming or not."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well, here I am." Mare shrugged. "So what are you guys up to?"   
  
"We're just sort of hangin' out," Yusuke said. "We've got the frisbee game going on over there," he nodded towards the girls and Kuwabara, who were still throwing the frisbee and chasing each other down, laughing their heads off all the while. "Kurama and I were just talking, and Hiei's been up in that tree the whole time."  
  
"Hiei?" Mare squinted up into the tree. "I don't believe I've met him. His name sounds familiar, though."  
  
Kurama and Yusuke exchanged glances. Hiei wondered how the hell Mare could think he was familiar if he'd never met her. Like Kurama, he had also suspected that she wasn't human, though that still didn't explain who she was. Teilen, who knew everything they didn't know, leaned onto the trunk of the tree Hiei was perched in and smirked.   
  
Kayko noticed that Mare had arrived, and ran up to her. "Hi Mare, I was wondering when you were going to get here."  
  
Mare smiled politely at her. "I had a few things to take care of, Kayko. So what to you guys want to do?" She was very curious as to what humans did for fun, when they weren't in school (and Mare was beginning to suspect that human children didn't particularly LIKE school).  
  
"Hey, I know!" Yusuke said. "Let's go to 7-11 and grab something to eat!"  
  
"Okay!" Mare happily agreed. She turned to Kurama. "What's a 'seven-eleven'?"  
  
"It's a store, haven't you ever been there?"   
  
"Nuh-uh," she shook her head. "Can we go there now?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Hey! Kuwabara and Yukina, we're going to 7-11!" Yusuke yelled. Kuwabara dropped the frisbee and the two of them went to join the group. Yusuke looked at the tree Teilen was leaning on and Hiei was sitting in. "Are you two coming?"  
  
"No," Teilen answered. "What's the point?"  
  
"Hn," Hiei replied. "I'd rather not waste my time surrounded by weak humans in pursuit of that revolting trash they call food."  
  
"Suit yourselves," Kurama said as they left.  
  
. . .

  
  
"Wow!" Mare pressed her face against the freezer door."Is that what you hu--I mean, is that 'ice cream'?" She stared at the many cartons inside the freezer, stacked on top of each other.  
  
        "Well, yes," Kayko answered, a little surprised. "You've never had ice cream?"  
  
"...No," Mare shrugged in reply. "Looks delicious, though! Can I take some?"  
  
Yusuke laughed. "It's a store, Mare. You're supposed to buy stuff; whatever you want."  
  
"Ok." Wearing a large grin, Mare opened the freezer doors and removed about 9 cartons from the shelves. "Okay, now what?"  
  
"...Uh, you go over to the counter over there to pay for it," Kayko said, a little confused. Didn't she know that?  
  
"Oh, right!" Mare laughed, nervously. She knew she was acting very suspicious... She took her armload of ice-cream cartons to the counter and dumped them in front of the cashier. "Hi, I was told that I'm supposed to 'pay' for these here. Is that correct?"  
  
"...Uhhh, yeah," answered the cashier, rolling her eyes. She began to add up the price of the ice-cream using a funny little beeper thing that Mare just couldn't figure out. Humans were so strange! "So you, like, having a party or something?" The cashier asked in a dull, bored tone, as if she had been asking the same question all day.  
  
"No, it's my first experience with ice-cream," Mare answered happily. The cashier looked at her as if she had gone mad.  
  
"......And your total comes to $17.64. You want paper or plastic?"  
  
"Excuse me? What does that mean?" Mare was confused.  
  
"She will take a paper bag," Kurama answered for her from behind. "She was just asking you what type of bag you want to put your items in," he explained to Mare.  
  
"Oh, I understand now." Mare nodded as she took her paper bag full of ice-cream from the cashier. "Thank you very much," she said to the cashier. She started to walk away.  
  
"Hey, you like, have to pay for your stuff!" The cashier called after her. Mare stopped and stared at her, a confused expression on her face.   
  
"Um...'pay'? I thought I did that already."  
  
"No, you like, didn't. You need to pay me with money, you know, like cash." The cashier looked at her and waited for payment. "You owe me $17.64."  
  
"...Oh." She looked to Kurama for help. "What's 'money'?" She whispered to him.  
  
Kurama dug into his own pocket. "Don't worry, I will take care of it," he said to her. He pulled out a couple pieces of paper colored green with a man's face and a the number '10' printed on them. He handed them to the cashier, and she typed some buttons on a box with a drawer on it. The box opened, and the cashier put the money inside and gave Kurama back his change. Mare watched all this with interest. When it was over, Kurama turned to her.  
  
"I'm finished. Shall we go now?"  
  
"Okay," she shrugged. They walked out the door, where they stood waiting outside for Yusuke, Kuwabara, Yukina, and Kayko. "Thank you very much for doing that for me," Mare said, feeling like an idiot.  
  
"Your welcome," Kurama answered. He was always so kind to everyone, and that was the part that threw Mare off completely when it came to him. She had suspected that he was not human, but would a demon really be this nice? "That is quite a large amount of ice-cream," Kurama continued. "What are you planning to do with it all?"  
  
"Well I was thinking we could all go back to the park and share it. Does that sound ok?"  
  
"That sounds very nice," he said, smiling politely. They both looked up as the others came out of the 7-11, each carrying a small plastic bag. Yusuke was laughing about something.  
  
"Yusuke, you're such a jerk!" Kayko was saying. As Yusuke continued to laugh, Kayko smacked him, hard, in the arm.  
  


"Ow, Kayko, that hurt!" He complained. But a second later he was snickering again.  
  
"Are we prepared to leave?" Kurama asked them. They all nodded.   
  
"We're going back to the park to eat my ice-cream," Mare informed them. "If you want to," she added.  
  
"Ice-cream, yeah!" Yusuke said. "I'm in. Come on guys, let's go."  
  
They began to make their way back to the park, Yusuke still laughing over whatever it was he did or said to Kayko, Kayko smacking him every once in a while, Kuwabara reciting sweet nothings to Yukina while she giggled in amusement, thinking he was just trying to make her laugh. Mare and Kurama led the way, discussing random things they happened to pass by. The sounds of a couple sirens could be heard off in the distance, however the group paid little attention to it since it didn't concern them.  
  


The sounds of the sirens gradually drew closer, and then when they came to a crosswalk they found that they had to stop to wait for five fire trucks to speed by, sirens wailing loudly.  
  
"What's happening?" Mare asked, watching the trucks disappear down the road.  
  
"There's a fire somewhere," Yusuke said. "Must be a pretty serious one to need all those fire trucks."  
  
"Fire?" Mare was watching the route that all the trucks seemed to be taking. Suddenly she got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach--the trucks were racing towards the exact location of the Makinos' ranch! Her jaw dropped in horror. "Oh no!" She cried out suddenly. She dropped the paper bag full of ice-cream and ran down the road as fast as her human legs could carry her, hoping that when she got there it wouldn't be too late...  
  
. . .  
  
Translations (the language is Egyptian, by the way):  
  
_Em__ hotep_ -- "In peace"  
  
_Tajew_ -- "Yes"  
  
_Seger_ -- "Silence, quiet"  
  
AN: Long chapter this time, I know. Anyway, umm, what was I gonna say? ...Oh yeah. Anyone think this is gonna turn into a Kurama x OC fic? Well guess what, I'm not tellin'. Know why? 'Cuz I haven't quite decided yet, that's why, though I am leaning towards 'no'. I mean, EVERYBODY does that. Do I wanna do it too? Maybe. Who knows? Tell me what you think I should do! Reeeevieeeewwww, please?


	4. The Burning

**~Easier To Run~ **  
  
. . .  
AN: The thingies { and } mean the person is speaking telepathically, ok?  
. . .  
_Chapter 4: The Burning_  
. . .  
  
Mare sprinted down the road after the firetrucks, hoping against hope that wherever the Makinos were, they were safe. All she could think of was, if anything happened to them she wouldn't be able to live with herself. They were the closest thing to a family she had.   
  
As she grew closer to the ranch, she began to see the black smoke above the trees much more clearly through the night sky. It looked like Yusuke had been right--it was serious. Not slowing down for a second, Mare was tempted to transform into her horse form to get there faster...but with all those humans around, it just wouldn't work. The scenery was all a blur to her now; she only paid attention to reaching the Makinos' ranch as quickly as possible.  
  
Turning down another road, Mare could now see the flickering of a bright light through the trees that separated the ranch from the rest of the city. She tore through the tiny forest and suddenly stopped dead at the clearing, seeing the bright orange-red flames dancing atop of the house. Her hands went to cover her mouth in shock. How could this happen? She watched as the five or six fire trucks parked as close to the burning house as possible. Twenty or so humans dressed in yellow jumped out of the fire trucks and immediately began hooking up tan hoses to the trucks. After doing this, they aimed the hoses at the burning house and water began streaming out of them onto the fire.  
  
The house was burning very fast. Mare had to make sure that the Makinos were safe. She took off running towards all the commotion. Running past all the red trucks, she began to look around frantically for her human family.  
  
One of the men in the yellow suits noticed her and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.  
  
"I'm sorry miss, we can't let you past this area," he said.  
  
"But what about the family?" She asked him. "Are they all right?"  
  
He gave her a quick nod. "They're fine. They weren't home when the fire started." He motioned towards a family of four huddled together, watching helplessly as the fire swallowed up their house and everything inside it.  
  
Mare looked back at the fireman. "What about the horses?"  
  
"They're all out in the pasture," he answered. "We don't think the fire will spread to the barn, but we're keeping a close eye on the animals just in case."  
  
Mare nodded silently, and the fireman left to help his comrades. Crossing her arms, she hugged herself tightly and looked at the ground. How could she let this happen? She had sworn to protect the Makinos, and now she had let them down.  
  
Hearing the sound of hurried footsteps approaching her, Mare turned around. Yusuke, Kurama, and Kuwabara were there. They all saw the sadness in her eyes, and exchanged sympathetic looks.  
  
"Is your family all right?" Kurama asked gently.  
  
"Yes," Mare nodded.  
  
"How did this happen?" Yusuke wondered. Mare had been wondering the exact same thing, herself. It could be a number of different things. She knew that the Makinos were very cautious about fire hazards, so it wasn't likely that they had been careless and left something on. Suddenly, something out of the corner of her eye made her look over at the forest.  
  
"What is it?" Kurama wanted to know, although she got the feeling that he had seen it too.  
  
"I'm not sure," she replied, keeping her eyes trained on that same spot. What she was sure of was, they were being watched. Suddenly she saw a flash of somebody's face in her mind--light orange skin, dark crimson-colored spiky hair and fiendish yellow eyes. Grinning evilly. But after a split second, the image was gone. Who could that be? After a moment's thought, Mare dismissed it from her mind. Right now, the owner of that face was the least of her worries. She turned her attention back to the fire, which was slightly decreasing in size.  
  
She shook her head. "I can't believe I let this happen," she said before she could stop herself. The others looked at her in confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kuwabara asked. "This wasn't your fault!"  
  
Mare shook her head again, and suddenly the face flashed in her mind again. This time she also heard his voice: _{You have been warned.}_ She gasped suddenly, and looked around frenziedly for the source of the sound. He, whoever 'he' was, had used telepathy to speak to her. Warned about what? She glanced at the others. Yusuke and Kuwabara were staring at the blazing fire, but Kurama's expression had gone from sympathetic to serious, almost as if he'd heard the message as well.  
  
Mare stared at the spot by the forest where she thought she had seen something run by. _{Warned about what?}_ She asked. There was a long pause. _{Answer me!}_  
  
_ {You can't escape us...Phedra.}_ The voice replied. And then it was gone.  
  
"What on Earth...?" Suddenly it all clicked. Her head snapped over to the Makinos. They had been a target. But...Thuurei was dead...wasn't she? "No," Mare answered herself. "She's alive."  
  
She had Kurama's full attention now. "What are you saying?" He wondered, no longer feeling the need to pretend he didn't know she was a demon. "Explain what's going on."  
  
Mare only shook her head. "I'm a danger to them. I have to leave." She began to take a few steps backward. "They'll be safer without me here."  
  
"Wait," Kurama began, "please tell me..." But she had already turned down the road and was running away from them as fast as she could. Yusuke and Kuwabara turned around, watching her go.  
  
"Mare! Where are you going?" Yusuke called after her, but received no answer.  
  
. . .

  
  
Yukina and Kayko had just barely turned onto the last road and were running as fast as they could.   
  
"Those boys!" Kayko fumed as she and Yukina panted their way down the road. "I can't believe they just took off without us!"  
  
"Oh my gosh," Yukina stopped as the two girls suddenly noticed the bright glow the flames were giving off even from about a half mile away. It was like a giant night-light.  
  
"Oh, no!" Kayko cried out. "Poor Mare!" They were about to continue running when suddenly an ear-splitting neigh sounded in the night. Stopping dead in their tracks, the two girls watched as a beautiful coffee-colored horse with a long maroon mane and tail raced past them. It seemed to slow down a bit when it went by them, turning its head slightly. The fierce--yet at the same time amiable--blue eyes stared into theirs, gazing into the depths of their souls. It felt very eerie and strangely comforting at the same time. It only lasted a second, but it seemed like a lot longer. Before they knew it, the horse was shooting on down the road and the connection broken.  
  
Kayko shivered involuntarily. "That was odd... I felt like I knew that horse somehow."  
  
"Yes, I know how you feel," Yukina replied, also with a hint of uneasiness. They looked up as three figures came running down the road in the same direction as the horse--Kurama in the lead, followed by Yusuke, and then Kuwabara. All seemed to be in disbelief.  
  
"Hey!" Kayko yelled as they all ran past her and Yukina.  
  
"Sorry Kayko, this is important!" Yusuke yelled over his shoulder as they kept running.   
  
Kayko sighed impatiently. "YUSUKE!"  
  
. . .  
  
Pronunciations:  
  
Thuurei (Too-ray)  
  
Phedra (Fed-rah)  
  
AN: Yeah, short chapter, I know. The next one will be longer, and also EVERYTHING will be explained in case you're very confused, which you probably are. Don't worry, you should be. It'll all make sense in the next chapter. Don't forget to review, and many thanx for reading my fic! ^_^  
  
_Next Chapter: The Truth Comes Out_


	5. The Truth Comes Out

**~Easier To Run~**  
  
. . .  
AN: Um, just in case there's any confusion, Hiei and Teilen aren't a couple or anything. And I'm still not sure if I'll do the Kurama x OC thing, if I do it'll be in another story. Heh, I'm a firm believer in love taking time. Anyway, I will no longer stand in the way of you reading the next chapter of this fic! Thanks, reviewers!]  
. . .  
_Chapter Five: The Truth Comes Out  
_. . .

  
  
Mare ran, although she didn't know where she was going. She felt like she just had to get away. She knew that she couldn't stay with the Makinos any longer. Thuurei knew where she was...she must have sent somebody to warn her. But for what?  
  
_ 'You can't escape us...Phedra.'_ Those words repeated themselves over and over in her mind. What did they want from her? She only wished for peace, nothing more. She had only wanted to start a new life. And now, this.   
  
This was crazy. She didn't even know where she was running to. She had nowhere to go. Mare slowed to a canter as she approached the park. There was nobody there except for maybe Teilen and that Hiei guy, but she wasn't concerned about them. She just needed to be someplace where she could sit and think. Hiding behind some tall bushes, Mare changed back into her human form and went to sit by the water fountain at the edge of the park.  
  
Just when she'd thought it was all over, the nightmares of her past had come back to haunt her. Mare wanted to forget it all. She wanted to forget that she ever went by the name "Phedra" and that she had done all of those awful things. If only she had been stronger, or braver. Why had she let herself be broken so easily? ...Dagni hadn't let them break her. Dagni would have rather died than submit to them. In fact, that's exactly what had happened.  
  
Clenching her fists tightly, Mare felt the familiar feeling of inadequacy wash over her. She could never be half the person her sister had been. If only there was a way to retrace every wrong move she had made, she would do it in a second. Take back all of the pain Dagni had to suffer. Go back and do everything differently.  
  
It had always been easier to run from her problems, to take the simplest way out, than stand up and face them. Maybe if she had chosen a different path, Dagni would still be alive...  
  
. . .

  
  
Kurama, Yusuke, and Kuwabara arrived at the park a few minutes later. Kurama was certain that she would be there. Yusuke and Kuwabara bent over, hands on their knees, out of breath.  
  
"Did I really see her change into a horse?" Kuwabara wondered, questioning his sanity.  
  
"Yeah, you did," Yusuke confirmed. "You were right, Kurama. She's not human."  
  
"Yes," Kurama nodded. "But there is more to the story than that, I'm afraid. It would seem that somebody has come after her, and her human family was the first target."  
  
"That sucks," Kuwabara muttered. "So where is she?"  
  
"Over there." Kurama calmly pointed to the slender figure sitting by the water fountain. The three of them slowly approached her, as if they might scare her off if they moved too quickly. She looked up briefly, just to make sure it was them, and then turned back to wherever she was looking.  
  
The three of them sat down beside her. She knew what they were there for. They wanted answers. They wanted to know why she had changed into a horse and why she had run away like that. She also knew that whatever she told them, they would understand; both Yusuke and Kuwabara knew that Kurama was a demon. She could tell. After another minute, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  
  
"I'll tell you what you want to know," she said. "But first, I want you to know that I'm not here to hurt anyone."  
  
"We understand that," Kurama replied, still serene as can be. The others became quiet, wanting to listen to what Mare had to say.  
  
She continued, never looking at them. "By now you all know the truth--that I'm not really human. Kurama, you've known it right from the start. I knew you did, but I thought I could avoid having to explain everything if nobody else knew. You see, it's quite a long and painful story to tell. It isn't one that I'm proud of, either. I was young and foolish, and I got myself into something I couldn't get out of until it was too late.  
  
"It all started when I was around 70 years old," she began, and Kuwabara made a sound like he was shocked. "My sister and I were very happy together. We were both horses running free, without a care in the world. It was nice. But one day we crossed paths with Thuurei; a rich, powerful demon woman who was the head of a business who made and sold dangerous drugs, naturally against the law. She had heard of the great abilities my sister and I posessed and wanted to use us for those abilities. My sister and I had powerful telekinetic powers. In my horse form, I also had the ability to breathe fire; in her horse form, my sister's breath could freeze anything it touched. Thuurei tried to convince us to join her, saying that she would pay us handsomely if we did. Of course, we refused.  
  
"But later, I returned home one day to find my sister missing. It looked as though a struggle had taken place. Alarmed, I set out to find her; however I didn't get far before I ran into one of Thuurei's demon lackeys. He told me that Dagni was being held captive, and would be killed unless I agreed to work for Thuurei. So I did. Little did I know what I was getting myself into..." Mare paused for a few seconds to gather her thoughts, and then continued. "What I had agreed to do was become the Dark Messanger for Thuurei and her business; basically what that means is, I was an assassin. I was sent off to murder anybody who had become an enemy of Thuurei's, using my special abilities. I hated doing it, but there was no way for me to back out of it. I was out-numbered, and if I tried anything my sister would be killed. For every single life that I took, I swore I would make Thuurei's death that much more painful.   
  
"Meanwhile my sister remained in her prison, refusing to agree to work for Thuurei. It was what I should have done in the first place. But I was too afraid... I was afraid to stand up for what I believed in and oppose Thuurei. I was afraid to die, or let my sister die. I remained hopeful that someday my sister and I would be free again. So very optimistic...so incredibly foolish." Mare could feel the tears forming behind her eyes, but did not cry, still focusing on the trees near the other end of the park. "When I finally realized that Thuurei was not ever planning on letting us go, it was too late. I had gotten myself in too deep to turn back, or so I thought. I had done so many awful things, I felt that there was no way to undo all the damage. And so, I continued to dig my hole even deeper.  
  
"I know it hurt Dagni more than anything else to see me succumb so easily to them," Mare began again, looking very forlorn. "She would've rather seen me run away and leave her for dead than turn into the sort of person I was then. By that time it had been over 50 years since I had even seen her. Soon, I completely lost track of time. I was lost in a world of killing, training, and more killing. There was never a pay-off--I was just a slave for them. I knew that. But I felt that there was no hope for me. My spirit had been broken.  
  
"One day I saw Dagni escape. She finally escaped her prison after nearly 200 years of being held captive. I could only watch helplessly from inside my own prison as every demon working for Thuurei ran her down..." Mare clenched her fists tightly. "...Ran her down...stabbing, clawing, digging, biting...Dagni...she desperately called to me, 'Remember who you are. Don't give up yet, you can still be different. You can still escape, it's not too late'... And then, they...they killed her. Like hungry savages..." Mare could feel her blood start to boil as she remembered, and she began to tremble slightly. "I couldn't take it anymore. I just went completely berserk. I don't even recall how I managed to escape, but I do remember murdering every one of the demons who went after Dagni first. Then I went after Thuurei. It was a tough battle. A long battle. Finally I emerged the victor, thinking that I had killed her. I wasn't sorry; not the slightest bit. She deserved everything she got. That was my thinking at the time.   
  
"I left after that. I took on a human form and I left that place for good. I never wanted to see it again, and I wanted to forget about all the terrible things I had done. Of course, I'll never forget them. They'll always be a part of me--a reminder of what I had become for so long."   
  
Finally, she looked up at them, seeing the expressions of astonishment on each of their faces. "It's been a few years since I left now. About two years ago, I found the Makinos' ranch. They didn't know about my human form, only about my horse form. They allowed me to stay with them. They were very kind to me, and in return for their kindness, I swore to myself that I would always protect them and never again return to my old ways. All I wanted was to start my life all over again, to live it the right way this time." She sighed. "And now, this happens."  
  
There was a short silence as the three took the time to absorb everything that Mare had just told them. Mare brought a hand up to her face and quickly wiped the corners of her eyes. She hated thinking of her past, and it hurt her to remember the horrible person she had once been.  
  
"So," began Yusuke. "You're sister helped you change?"  
  
Mare nodded. "Yes, she did. Her words just struck a chord in me...for the longest time I had become so numb inside..."  
  
"Yes," Kurama nodded. "I think I understand. But if I may ask a question: how does Teilen know you?"  
  
"I was sent to kill Teilen once," Mare answered. "She had stolen something very valuable from Thuurei's vault, and naturally I was sent to retrieve it. I can track people fairly well, so I was able to find Teilen with little trouble. When I did find her, we both became engaged in a fight that lasted days. Neither of us would submit to the other. Finally we both came to an agreement: she would hand over the stolen item, and I would discontinue the battle and never bother her again. ...Of course you see how well that worked out. Anyhow, apparently I was the only one who ever survived a fight with the Shadow while she was in the theiving business. I seem to have earned her respect, and so when I ran into her the other day she actually treated me as if I were an old friend." Mare let a small grin creep across her face.  
  
"I see," Kurama said thoughtfully.  
  
"...So, how old are you anyway?" Kuwabara wondered.  
  
"Two hundred and seventy-eight, I believe," Mare answered without faltering.  
  
"Holy Crap!" Yusuke stared at her. "You're almost as old as Kurama!"  
  
Mare shrugged. "I guess so." She smiled at them. "What? Surprised?"  
  
"Well...yeah," Yusuke said. "You look damn good for an old lady," he added, teasing her.  
  
"Old lady?" Mare shook her head and glared. "We do NOT go there, okay?"  
  
He held up his hands, as if proclaiming innocence. "Okay, okay." He stared at the ground for a while before asking, "So where are you going to go now that you can't go back to the Makinos'?"  
  
Mare sighed. "I really don't know."  
  
"Hey, I'd let you stay at my place if there was any extra room." Yusuke shrugged.  
  
"That's alright," she answered. "I suppose I'm used to sleeping outdoors anyway. I'll just have to find a spot where nobody will see me."  
  
Kuwabara checked his watch. "Whoa! Do you guys know how late it is? It's eleven o'clock! Man, I'm dead meat if I don't get home fast!" He jumped to his feet, fearing his sister's wrath. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" He took off running and disappeared down the street.  
  
"Bye Kuwabara," Yusuke muttered. He sighed. "I better get going, too. Not that anyone is gonna freak about me staying up too late, but I'm tired." He got up and stretched. "I hope I see you around, Mare," he said, and walked off with his hands stuffed into his pockets.  
  
Mare looked at Kurama, who was the last one left besides her. "What did he mean by that?"  
  
Kurama smiled, and Mare noticed how beautiful his green eyes were. They were comforting somehow, and she felt strangely captivated by them. "He just wants to be sure that you'll be alright," he answered her.  
  
Mare sighed. "Well, I can't answer that for sure. But I can certainly take care of myself, if that's what he meant."  
  
Kurama's gaze shifted from her to the night sky. "Mare, I'm sure my mother would not mind if I invited you to stay at our home for a while. I will explain to her that you're a friend of mine and your parents are away." He looked back at her and Mare smiled brightly, exposing her rows of white teeth (eating all that healthy food as a horse paid off).   
  
"Really? You would do that for me? You barely know me, Kurama."  
  
He shrugged, ever so slightly. "I suppose it's intuition," he said. "I feel as though I can trust you."  
  
"Thank you so much," she said, leaning over to give him a grateful hug. "That's such a nice thing for you to do." She let go and they stood up. "So much has happened today... I wouldn't want to endanger your family."  
  
"Do not worry," he said. "Should anything happen, there will be two of us to fend off intruders."  
  
She nodded. "And you're sure your mother won't mind?"  
  
"Of course not," he said. "She will understand. Shall we go?"  
  
"Sure." Mare followed Kurama out of the park and towards the direction of his house, not realizing they were being watched from afar.  
  
Two little demons had been perched high up in a tree on the other side of the park, listening to every word of the conversation and Mare's story. Teilen turned to smirk at her short companion.  
  
"I told you you'd understand soon," she said.  
  
Hiei just scowled. "It doesn't concern me. What do I care?"  
  
Teilen shook her head at him. "You're worse than me..."  
  
"Hn. Don't make me shove you out of this tree."  
  
She just gave him an evil grin. "_Ini__ set tep, Khewew Jeret_," she said, calling him by the nickname she'd been using on him since they first met.  
  
"I don't speak Egyptian, but I know what that means," he said to her. "I can always tell when somebody wants a piece of me."  
  
"Alright, let's go then," she said. Without another word, Hiei vanished from the tree and Teilen followed him. It looked like it was going to be another long night of sparring.  
  
. . .

  
Translation/s:  
  
_Ini__ set tep, Khewew Jeret_ -- "Bring it on, Evil Eye"  
  
AN: Okay, I don't know when I'll get around to updating next, since I seem to have a case of writer's block, ugh. I promise I'll update as soon as possible, though. I hate to leave you guys hanging. As you might have guessed, I'm pretty big on cliffies as it is. Anyway, please review my fic, oh and if Mare's story was too confusing, then let me know so I can fix it, ok?  
  
_Next Chapter: Adjusting_


	6. Adjusting

**~Easier To Run~**

. . .

_Chapter Six: Adjusting_

. . .

            "Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?" Came the soft singing of the occupant of the guest room as she opened the door and stepped into the hall. With the door open, the radio could be heard playing in the next room. The door closed, silencing the music, as she continued to walk down the hall.

            Kurama was just barely waking up when he saw somebody walk past his room, heading towards the stairs. He turned his head slightly so that he could read the clock on his bedside table: 6:05.

            "Why can't I speak whenever I talk about--AAHHH!" A short scream cut the song short, followed by loud thumping noises and finally a crash. Kurama bolted out of bed and ran out of his room, flying around the corner and stopping at the top of the stairs. Mare, lying in a heap at the bottom in her comfy plaid pajamas, looked up at him and gave him an embarrassed grin.

            "Good morning," she sang.

            Kurama couldn't help but smile back. "Are you alright?"

            She nodded. "Don't worry, it happens all the time. Did I wake you up?" She asked him as she stood up and brushed herself off. "I'm sorry."

            "Do not apologize, I was already awake," he answered kindly.

            "Oh, good," she said, relieved, as Kurama came down the stairs. "I swear, I'm the biggest klutz you'll ever meet. I'm not completely used to walking on two legs yet."

            "I can understand that. Would you like something to eat?" He asked.

            "Sure, thank you. Did I hear your mother leave a few minutes ago?"

            "Yes. She had to be at work earlier than usual today," Kurama answered as he headed into the kitchen. "Do you like pancakes and eggs?"

            Mare shrugged as she followed him into the room. "I have never had that, but I'm not picky. Anything will be just fine. Do you need some help?"

            "No, but thank you for offering. If you like, you can take a shower while you're waiting." Kurama began opening cupboards and pulling out the ingredients he needed.

            "Okay." Mare nodded. Kurama had shown her how to operate the shower the night before, and his mother had let her borrow some of her clothes until she could get some new ones of her own. Mare left the kitchen and made her way to the bathroom, but not before fetching a clean set of clothes from the guest bedroom. She found that she thoroughly enjoyed using the shower--the warm water was very soothing, and the sudsy soap was so much fun! She used the "Jalopeno Herbal Essence" shampoo, lathering her thick hair and rinsing it just like the instructions said.

            Fifteen minutes later (for she took an extra few minutes to play with the soap some more--so interesting! As a horse, she never had use for such a thing!) Mare exited the bathroom, refreshed and feeling clean. She caught a whiff of something delicious coming from the kitchen, so she went to see if Kurama had finished preparing breakfast.

            "There you are," he said when he saw her. The table was all set and the food was ready; in fact, he looked as though he had been waiting for her. Mare felt guilty until she noticed him looking at her with an amused expression on his face. 

            "What?" She wondered.

            "You still look very wet."

            "Oh, it's my hair," she said. "I tried to dry it off, but it's still quite damp."

            He nodded. "Have a seat, I will be right back." He left the room, and Mare sat down on one of the chairs around the table. In the center of the table was a vase with a single rose placed in it. She wondered where he gotten it from, as it hadn't been there fifteen minutes ago. Beside that was a large plate of scrambled eggs and another full of golden brown, round, flat things that must have been the pancakes. The sight of it made her stomach growl, but she waited for him to come back before digging in.

            Kurama returned holding a white bath towel. "Allow me to demonstrate a useful human trick." He then proceeded to wrap Mare's hair up with the towel, creating a turban on top of her head. "There you are," he said when he had finished.

            "Wow, thanks," Mare said. "That helps."

            "You're welcome." Kurama sat down on another chair and reached for a plate. "Take what you like here, there is plenty."

            She laughed. "You just may regret those words, Kurama. After all, where do you think the phrase 'you eat like a horse' came from?"

. . .

            Shortly after breakfast, Mare and Kurama left for school. It wasn't that far, so of course they walked. It didn't take long for Mare to realize that Kurama was quite popular with the female humans; they hadn't gotten to the end of the block before cries of "Hi Suichi!" and "Wait for me, Suichi!" were heard from nearly a dozen girls. Kurama nodded politely to them all, but kept walking. A few girls glared at Mare, and she began to feel a bit uncomfortable.

            "Why are they looking at me like that?" She wondered. "Do they think I'm your girlfriend or something?"

            "Maybe," Kurama admitted. He continued to walk at a brisk pace, Mare at his heels. She watched the five or six girls who were trying to keep up with "Suichi", talking and giggling amongst each other while they stole shy glances at him.

            Suddenly she started laughing, understanding the situation. "Well, I see somebody's the 'pretty boy' of the school, huh?"

            Kurama shook his head. "Believe me when I say that I would rather not be. It can get quite tiresome at times. Some of those girls can run for miles..." Mare thought she saw him cringe slightly at this, but it may have been her imagination.

            "You speak from experience?" She asked him with a sly smirk.

            He bowed his head. "Unfortunately, yes."

            "Suichi!" A girl shrieked. 

            Kurama stopped and turned around to see who had called his name this time, and his eyes immediately widened. "Oh dear...

            "What?" Mare looked back as well, and spotted a girl of about medium height wearing a revealing skirt and top sprinting her way towards Kurama, a large grin plastered on her face. Her long blond pigtails bounced on her shoulders as her sneakers pounded against the pavement. Mare looked back at Kurama, who was wearing an expression of slight aggravation. "Who is that?"

            "Kera," he said with a sigh as the said girl closed the distance between them and practically threw herself onto him. 

            "Suichi! You, like, didn't wait for me this morning, you bad boy!" Kera said, pulling away from him to waggle her index finger in his face. With a smile and a squeal, she wrapped her thin arms around his neck and hugged him.

            "Er...Kera, I--" Kurama began, rather flustered. He was too polite to shove her away from him, and he certainly didn't want to hurt her feelings. He gave her back an awkward pat. "Would you kindly remove your arms from around my neck?"

            Kera gave him one more good squeeze, and then let go, placing her hands on her hips. "Suichi, you like, really should have called me and told me you were going to leave early today! It's a good thing I decided to, like, go over to your house this morning and see if you, like, wanted a fresh blueberry muffin, or I would have never seen you leave!" She said with a giggle, and poked him in the ribs.

            Kurama flinched at her touch, as if he had been subject to this type of wrath several times before. "You see, Kera, I have--"

            Kera waved a hand, and tossed her golden pigtails over her shoulders. "Silly, there's no need to apologize! Like, you know that I love you Suichi!"

            Kurama's cheeks turned slightly pink, and he gave Mare a desperate 'help me please' look.

            Mare had been standing a few feet away, watching the amusing one-sided love affair. Then Kera noticed her.

            "And just who is THIS?" She asked, a nasty snobbish tone replacing the cutesy, giggly one she had been using on Kurama. She glared at Mare.

            "Possessive are we?" Mare remained calm as she crossed her arms. This girl wasn't a threat to her, not even close. "Well you have nothing to worry about. I am not--nor do I have any interest in becoming--his girlfriend."

            Kera looked quite unconvinced, even though Mare had denounced any feelings she might have had for Kurama very plainly. "You'd better, like, keep off my man, you bitch," she said in an icy tone as she narrowed her eyes at Mare. "He is MINE."

            Mare glanced back at Kurama, who had his face in his hands, clearly embarrassed. She shook her head, a bit bewildered at the girl's stupidity. She had half a mind to grab Kurama and kiss him right then and there, just because she knew it would infuriate Kera, but normally she didn't sink that low. After all, it was only a human's ignorance that she was dealing with--an issue that could easily be resolved with words.

            Mare laughed. She tried to stop herself, to hold it back, but she just couldn't. Kera's scowl deepened as she watched Mare laugh, a little more than confused. "You can have him, Kera," Mare said, once she regained her composure. "I told you I'm not interested, but you didn't seem to understand that. So if you want him, take him--however, I don't think you're going to get very far considering he doesn't seem to be interested in you at all."

            Kera stood there for a few seconds, as if trying to figure out the meaning of Mare's words using her incompetent little brain. Finally she seemed to understand, because her cheeks flushed an angry red and she stomped a foot on the sidewalk. "You're saying he likes YOU better than ME?" She growled.

            Mare instantly threw up her arms and turned away. "Aye, I've had enough of this. Kur--um, Suichi, we're going to be late for school...are you coming?"

            "Yes, of course," he said with a quick nod, and the two of them continued their trek to the high school, leaving a completely dumbfounded Kera to wonder what exactly had gone on just then, and whether or not Mare Makino was jealous of her good looks.

            She shook her head. "She is, like, totally jealous of me!" She decided. "She wants Suichi Minamino all to herself, well, she's got another thing coming! That hottie is all MINE, and that girl is, like, going to have to learn the hard way!" With that, she flounced off to stalk Kurama the rest of the way to school.

. . .

            Mare struggled with the combination on her locker. Why wouldn't it come unlocked? She was doing everything right! It was beginning to get irritating, especially since third period was going to start at any second. Everyone else was in class, save for the few other people who were also having locker problems. She tried again. The lock still refused to cooperate. Sighing, Mare tried once more, but failed yet again.

            "Stupid thing," she muttered under her breath. She let her head fall onto the locker door with a hollow 'thunk'. She and Kurama had made it the rest of the way to school with little more interruptions, and had gone their separate ways when the first period bell rang. They would meet up again during sixth period--the dreaded Driver Ed class. Kayko and Kurama had both convinced Mare to give driving another shot. She had flatly refused at first, but both of them, she had found, were quite persuasive. As a result, Mare agreed to step into the "death machine" and test her skills once more; something that she was quite nervous about.

            With a groan of frustration, Mare lifted her head, raised a fist and pounded on the locker door. "Open!" She commanded, however it would not obey.

            "Having trouble?" A voice came from behind her. Mare turned her head to look at the owner of the voice--a tall guy with dark eyes and chocolate-brown hair. He smiled at her, revealing bright white, straight teeth and a dimple in his left cheek. Mare sighed and nodded. "Yes, I can't open this locker."

            "Well, I'd be happy to help out," he said. "If you don't mind, what's your locker combination?"

            "11-34-23," she answered without hesitation. She didn't care if anyone knew her locker combination, since the only things that she kept inside it were school books--and she would question the sanity of anyone who would want to steal those.

            The young man set to work on the combination, and seconds later the door popped open. He stood back and grinned at Mare. "There you are. You were probably turning it the wrong way on that last number."

            Mare smiled her appreciation. "Thank you very much!"

            "Hey, no problem at all. I don't think I've seen you around here before, are you new?" He asked as Mare collected her books and placed them into her backpack.

            "Yes," she answered, shutting the locker door and zipping up the backpack. She picked it up and heaved it onto her shoulder without much effort. "My name's Mare Makino. It's my third day here."

            "Oh yeah?" He nodded. "I'm Nao Okuni. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand to shake, and Mare took it. "Do you like it here so far?"

            Mare nodded as they let go of each other's hands. "It's alright...definitely something to get used to, but I've survived this long." She laughed and he smiled again.

            "Well, what class are you headed to now?" He wondered as the third period bell went off.

            "Chemistry," she answered.

            Nao's cheeks went a little pink as he asked, "Would you mind if I walked with you? My class is right next to yours."

            Mare shrugged. "Sure, I don't see why not."

            "Great," he said, giving her another grin. The two of them walked towards the Chemistry classroom together, just as somebody else entered the hallway...

            Kera watched them from the corner she stood in as they disappeared up the stairs. "So," she fumed, "this girl who claims to have my Suichi's love is off flirting with other guys, like, the second he leaves her! How totally rude! Suichi, like, deserves much better than THAT bitch. I'll totally show her who's boss! How dare she try to break my hottie's heart!" She tossed her head and cackled. "She'll be sorry she ever went after my man!"

            Meanwhile, Nao and Mare had successfully made it up the stairs to the Chemistry classroom, and Mare mentally congratulated herself for not tripping even once that time.

            "Well, this is where we must part ways," she said when they came to a stop outside the classroom door, exaggerating the drama for humorous purposes. She was hoping to have made a new friend--Nao seemed like a very nice person that she might like to get to know.

            "Yeah," Nao nodded. "I hope I'll see you around, Mare." He blushed as he said her name, and turned to make his way down the hall to his own class.

            "Sure! I'll see you later, Nao," Mare waved goodbye as she opened the classroom door and stepped inside.

            Third period seemed to drag on forever. It wasn't because Mare was no good at Chemistry--in fact, she was, and had quickly become the top student in the class--but she was just dreading her Driver Ed class. She didn't want a repeat of the day before, and she didn't particularly like Mr. Broderick very much. She couldn't seem to do anything right in his eyes. During third period, Mare paid little attention to what she was doing and still somehow managed to receive an "A" for the day, which made her lab partner, a black-haired girl who either didn't seem to understand or refused to accept the concept of homework, quite happy. Eventually the bell did ring, and Mare brightened up a bit--she had fourth period with Kayko and Yusuke, something that made enduring the art class a little easier.

            She arrived at the class room on time, and went inside, immediately spotting Kayko sitting at the regular table. Yusuke was absent from the room, and from what Mare knew about him, would probably either be late or not show up at all.

            Kayko looked up when she heard somebody approach their table. "Mare, hi!" She jumped to her feet and embraced Mare in a hug. "I can't believe you came to school today! Yusuke said you were staying with Kurama...oh, I'm so sorry about your house!"

            Mare smiled and hugged her back. "It's okay now. My family is alright."

            "I'm so glad to hear that!" Kayko stepped back and looked up at her. "Listen, there was something I wanted to talk to you about...I mean, Yusuke mentioned something last night about you, and I've been wondering about it, you know, whether it was true or not..."

            Mare nodded. "I know what this is about. And whatever you heard about me is probably true, but this is neither the time nor the place to be talking about it."

            "Yes, I understand," Kayko said. "But...just so we're clear, you're saying that you ARE a--" she dropped her voice to a barely audible whisper, "demon?"

            Mare grinned slightly and nodded her head. "Yep. ...Um...does that bother you?"

            "Not at all," Kayko said. "I'm kind of used to hanging around with..." She trailed off, letting her facial expression finish the sentence for her.

            "Our kind?" Mare laughed. "I'm glad you're not all freaked out about it. I'd hate to lose such a good friend."

            Kayko beamed in response to the compliment. "Me too." Just then the bell rang, and all the students scrambled to their seats. Mare and Kayko sat down at their table, which was occupied by about three other teenagers and would have seated Yusuke as well, had he been present.

            "Looks like Yusuke decided to skip class again," Kayko sighed. "I wonder if he even came to school at all today?"

            One of the boys who sat at their table looked over to Kayko and gave her a sympathetic look. "I would come to school every day just to see MY girlfriend," he commented, and Kayko gave him a small smile.

            Mare poked her and raised her eyebrows. _{An admirer?}_ She telepathically teased. Kayko looked very surprised to hear Mare's voice inside her head, but immediately shook it off moments afterward. Seeing a flicker of curiosity in her eyes, Mare decided to say something more. _{My telepathy is particularly sensitive, Kayko. You can talk back to me, if your thoughts are directed towards me.}_

            Kayko smiled and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, Mare heard a small, uncertain voice say _{Like this?}_

            _{You got it,}_ Mare answered. _{Hey, how much did Yusuke tell you?}_ She asked as the teacher proceeded to hand out large pieces of art board.

            _{Well...he said that you were the horse that Yukina and I saw run by...and for a long time you used to work for another demon because your sister was held prisoner or something. You worked as an assassin and after 200 years you finally escaped when your sister was killed. Now you just want to live a normal life...is that right?}_

            Mare nodded. _{Yeah, that's basically it. The story is a lot longer, but that's a good way to summarize it.}_

            _{It sounds so sad_...} Kayko took a sheet of the paper the teacher was passing out, and handed one to Mare as well.

            _{It is.}_

            The two of them were silent for a few minutes as they began sketching on the papers they had recieved. Finally Kayko asked, _{You really loved your sister?}_

            _{Yes. She was my best friend, and I think about her every day.}_

            _{Was she as good of a person as you?}_

            Mare thought about this for a while before answering, _{She was better.}_ She sent an image of Dagni to Kayko; a beautiful mocha-colored horse with a deep blue mane and tail, and intense maroon eyes. There was a calm, peaceful demeanor about her--yet in her eyes you saw a fire that could never be put out. Power, determination. The eyes of a very headstrong individual with a passion for life that had lasted until her death.

            _{My gosh, she's so pretty,} _Kayko commented.

            _{She was, yes.}_

            {_It must have been so hard for you, after she died.}_

            _{It was the hardest thing I've ever had to overcome, that's for sure,} Mare agreed. {And I'm still trying to overcome it.}_

. . .

AN: And I finally decide to get off my arse and update! Amazering, no da? Hehehe. I'm thinking that this won't be a romantical story after all...I'm thinking that Teilen and Hiei will just be friends. Something about Hiei/oc stories that I just dun like, I suppose. However...KURAMA/oc is an entirely different story... *cackles* ^^;; Tune in next time for the fantastical trip to the lunchroom and some other stuff, 'kay? Plus we take a look at whatever happened to Teilen and Hiei...maybe they're murdering each other -_-;; Anywayz, review please!


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